Romeo and Julie - Chapter 22

Disclaimer - Disney owns Ducks, I own others.

Notes - Happy Valentines Day all. *Dean gives Julie a red rose.* *Fulton give Beck a box of chockies* *Guy gives Connie a teddy bear* *Luis gives every girl within a 20 metre radius a kiss* well, I hope you have a good one…I will… all alone…*author cries*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Julie stepped out of the shower and pressed her hand to Dean's mouth. "You breathe to loud"

"Sorry" he mumbled into her hand. Julie grinned at him and crossed to the door of the bathroom. Behind her, Dean did a last minute check to make sure that everything in the room was the way that he had left it, and then stood behind Julie.

Carefully she turned to knob and opened the door inches at a time. It creaked under her hands.

"We could go through the window" Dean mumbled. Julie laughed and punched him in the stomach. It was a three floor drop to the ground, there was no way that she was going to jump out of the window. She would rather stay in there all night and get caught in the morning then jump out of a third floor window.

Opening the door just enough to exit the room and enter the bedroom, Julie slid through into the main room. Dean followed her. He was holding his breath as they made their way to the door. Julie turned the knob of the main door, and it to popped open.

"Nic, is that you" a sleepy voice from the bed on the left asked. Dean held his breath and looked at Julie, who had a deer in headlights look on her face.

"Yeah its me" Julie found herself replying. Dean's eyes went wide, what on earth was she doing? "Go back to sleep"

They waited at the door for a few seconds, and then suddenly, Julie wrenched open the door, exited, and pulled Dean with her into the hall, softly closing the door behind them.

Dean was amazed. She was a gutsy girl. Just another thing that he loved about her.

"To easy" Julie smiled and walked off down the hall.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Meredith looked up as her class began to enter the auditorium. "Dean"

"Yes" Portman replied.

"No Dean" Meredith laughed and indicated to behind him. Portman turned to look to where she was pointing and realised that Dean Buckley was walking behind him. "Dean"

"Oh, Dean" Portman replied and stopped with Julie beside Meredith.

"Dean" Meredith greeted as Dean Buckley met her at the door.

"Dean" Portman and Julie greeted.

"Ducks" Dean Buckley smiled to the hockey team as he made his way into the Auditorium.

"Dean" the ducks all chorused.

"Dean?" Meredith asked. She wondered what he was doing there for her English class. It was unusual.

"Dean" the ducks smiled.

"Dean" Russ called.

"Yes Mr. Tyler?" Dean Buckley asked.

"No Dean, I meant that Dean" Russ smiled innocently and called after Portman. "Dean!"

"Enough Ducks" Meredith groaned. That conversation could go on for hours, with each of the ducks going through the same conversations and overusing the name Dean, any other day she would find that amusing, but today, she was much more interested in why the Dean was there. "What can I do for you Dean?"

"The Ducks, a pleasure to talk to, as usual." Dean Buckley chuckled. "Go on with your rehearsal, Miss Dugas, I am here to observe"

"Observe?" Meredith looked shock. He wanted to observe their rehearsal. They were still a little shaky with it all. Her actors knew pieces of the play, but they were yet to fit each of the pieces together smoothly. "Sure, take a seat, umm, Romeo and Juliet, would you like to do a piece for the Dean?"

Julie and Dean, who had been sitting with the other Ducks on the edge of the stage, looked at their teacher as she approached them. "Which piece?"

"Which do you know the best?" Meredith asked softly. Dean Buckley had only let her do this because she had assured him that the Ducks could act. It would be horrible if they were to get up there and prove her wrong. Dean Buckley would never allow her to make her own curriculum decisions ever again.

"Ok" Portman smiled. "Want to impress them with your intellect?"

"Sure" Julie grinned.

"Act 2, Scene 2?" Portman questioned. Julie took a few seconds to think of which scene that was, and then smiled.

"I am game if you are" she laughed. Dean helped her climb up onto the stage, and then prepared to take the Dean by storm.

" 'He jests at scars that never felt a wound. But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair then she: be not her maid, for she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady, o, it is my love! O, that she knew they were! She speaks let she says nothing, what of that? Her eye discourses; I will answer it. I am to bold, 'tis not to me that she speaks. Two of the fairest stars in all the heavens, Having some business does entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return….' " Dean recited from memory, he was getting good at this.

"NO" Meredith's voice interrupted him. Dean stopped, looked at Julie quickly, and then to Meredith, who had her hands over her face, and she looked like she was sobbing. "No, no, no"

"No?" Julie was shocked. Had it been something that Dean had done wrong? Something that she had done wrong? "Meredith, I thought that he was doing fine?"

"What" Meredith looked up at they two on the stage. She had forgotten that they had even going though the play. Her whole world had died as soon as she started talking to the Dean. "What… What?"

"Is she ok?" Adam asked as the whole class approached where the dean and Meredith were sitting.

"Dean, what did you say to her?" Russ asked, amazed. Meredith was sitting with her arms wrapped around her, rocking back and forth. "You broke her"

There was a sudden scramble as Meredith stood and grabbed her bag, pulling out her day planner and flipping through it quickly. "No, no, that cant be possible"

The ducks looked at her, they had never seen their teacher like this. "What's going on?"

"No" Meredith whined, her finger on a date in her diary. "Its true, its all true"

"What is going on?" Connie repeated, louder this time. The dean looked away from Meredith, and to the Ducks to give an explanation.

"It seems that there had been a slight miscalculation on the rehearsal period" he replied. "Miss Degas here believed that you had two months to get prepared for this."

"What does that mean?" Dwayne asked.

Meredith looked up at him. "Dwayne, poor, sweet, innocent, lovely Dwayne, it means that I am a monumental fuck up" she dropped her diary on the floor and stood. "Guys, it turns out we have less then two months"

"So we have a month, who cares" Adam dismissed. "We can do it"

"Oh Adam, poor, sweet, innocent, lovely Adam. We don't even have a month" Meredith was practically in tears.

Luis shrugged also. "Three weeks"

"Luis, poor, sweet, innocent…" Meredith began again.

Russ rolled his eyes at their teacher, who seemed to be stuck on a loop. "Some one slap her"

"We have two weeks" Meredith mumbled.

"What!" The Ducks yelled. They could not believe it.

"Two weeks, we have two weeks" Ken said, picking up Meredith's planner and counting the days. "Not even that. 12 days to be precise"

"12 days" Connie sighed. "12 days. No problem, except for the fact that we are not ready, and we wont be ready before then. We cant do this. 12 days"

"I think we can do it" Guy replied. Every one glared at him.

Averman's glare was the worst. "Shut up Germaine you are only saying that because you know all your lines already"

"You really do not believe that you will be ready to go on stage in 12 days?" The dean asked. He turned to Meredith, who was once again sitting, scribbling notes down about all the things she had to do. "Meredith, it is not to late to cancel"

"Its up to the kids" she said, looking to the others, who looked scared. "If you think that you can do it"

"We cant" Luis turned to the group. The rest of the group turned to stand around in a circle so that they could discuss their options.

"I agree, we quit" Connie added. All the others all started to give their opinions.

"Wait!" Charlie yelled, and as always, when Captain Duck spoke, the others listened. "Wait. Since when have the ducks been quitters"

Russ chuckled. "WWJHS. What would Jesse Hall say?"

"Guys be serious" Charlie snapped at him. "There was a point when we all thought that we would not be able to succeed in hockey, but we didn't quit then, we picked it up and flew together"

"Charlie is channelling Bombay" Ken whispered to Averman, who was standing at his side. "Is any one else scared?"

"I don't know, but if he makes us all get up, share we are from, and chant 'Duck's fly together' I will leave" Dean laughed from Ken's other side. "You can only go through that once in your life."

A few of them didn't realise that Charlie had gone on with his lecture, but they were surprised when Charlie concluded with. "So come on ducks, what do you say?"

"I say that Bombay telling you that you were the real Minnesota Miracle Man has gone to your head" Goldberg announced. "You should hear yourself man"

"Guys, come on, be serious." Charlie groaned. He was so sick of this. Why did his team have to have a sense of humour? "I believe in us, why don't you"

Adam was first to talk after his captains highly corny statement. "I don't know Charlie, 12 days, do you really think we can do it?"

"Yeah, I do" Charlie replied.

"Then I am in" Adam smiled.

"I am in to" Guy spoke up next. "No point in quitting now, I already know everything I am expected to know"

"No point in saying you will do it if those two don't." Goldberg interrupted, indicating to Julie and Dean who had been relatively quiet through the whole discussion. "What's Romeo and Juliet without Romeo and Juliet?"

"Wait, I know this one, it is like 'how do you fit a pope in a mini?'" Averman quipped.

"Shut up Averman, you are talking shit again" Guy snapped. "And you take off his hat, everyone knows that"

"So Dean, Julie, this is up to you" Charlie smiled, turning to the other two. "Do you think that we can go through with it"

"Well, we have gotten this far, no point stopping now" Dean admitted before turning to Julie. "I will do it if Julie does"

"I am game if Dean is" Julie shrugged.

"Then ok, lets do this" Charlie confirmed, and the others all cheered. The Ducks were a cheery group, Charlie had never really realised that before. He turned to Meredith, who still looked as though she was in the middle of an emotional train wreck, and smiled. "Meredith, don't call it off, we are going to go head with this"

"You are" She looked happy, amazed and scared, all at once as she stood crossed to the group.

"Yeah, we will give up all our spare time, nights, weekends if we have to." Charlie told her.

"Hey, I didn't sign on for that!" Russ exclaimed. When everyone looked at him, he laughed nervously. "But it sounds reasonable"

"Oh, class, class, you are…" Meredith could not voice how proud she was pf this group. They were willing to do this to fix her mistakes. It was amazing. "Oh, you are all so great. You forgive me for screwing up?"

"There is nothing to forgive Meredith, we all make mistakes" Adam smiled.

"Some are bigger then others." Portman admitted, but then smiled. "But yeah, there is nothing to forgive"

"Well lets get to work then. We have shit loads to get done" She smiled and started directing people towards different jobs. "Oh, and can some one tell Matt Goddard and Rebecca Roman that they are needed in the afternoon practice today"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rebecca jumped, dropping her pen as she felt hands over her eyes and heard the voice in her ear. "Hello"

Pushing Fulton's hands away, she grinned and breathlessly said "Oh my, Fulton Reed, a bash brother, sitting at the musicians table"

"Yeah, well, I venture away from the Ducks table occasionally" Fulton shrugged, pulling out the chair beside hers and sitting. "Especially to sit with beautiful girls like you"

"Aw." Beck grinned and ruffled his hair a little. "You are so sweet."

"Well, actually, I do have a reason for coming over here, I had to tell you something. Two things actually" he explained. Beck closed her book, capped her pen and pushed them both into her bag so that he was sure that he had her complete attention.

"Yay, gossip." she smiled. Fulton laughed.

"Well, do you want the good news first, or the bad news" he asked her.

"You know, I really hate that question" Rebecca told him. "Because I never know whether to hear the good news first so I am in a good mood when I hear the bad news or…"

"Or hear the bed news first so that the good news makes it all better" Fulton finished for her. It was amazing how many things they were still finding that they had in common with on another. "I know, I am the same"

Rebecca smiled and said. "So, why don't you just surprise me?"

"Ok. Turns out, we don't have two months till the play, we have 2 weeks" Fulton told her quickly.

Rebecca's jaw dropped and she watched him closely to see if he was joking around. The look he was giving was dead serious. "Oh, please let that be the bad news"

"It is" he assured.

Beck smiled, it could not get any worse then that. Could it? "So what is the good news?"

"More practices mean you get to spend a whole lot more time with me" Fulton smiled, just a little blush staining his cheeks.

Rebecca groaned in mock disgust. "Gee, just when I thought that it wouldn't get any worse, now I am stuck with you"

"Oh, rejection hurts" Fulton laughed, his hand over his heart.

"Ah, Fult, you know I adore you" She smiled, and he blushed. Rebecca would never stop loving that about him. "So why have we got less time?"

"Meredith made a little bit of a mistake" He explained.

"Oh" Beck smiled. Suddenly, her mind went back to all the lines that Fulton had, and his lack of confidence that he could do it. "Are you going to be ready"

"Sure" He smiled. "because you believe in me. Is the music going to be ready?"

"Yeah, I will be fine with it" Rebecca replied. The music really would not be hard for her, she had finished writing the music itself, and now she just had to get approval from Meredith to use the whole string quartet, not just herself with a violin. Now all she was worried about was Fulton. "Do you want me to help you with your lines"

"You read my mind." Fulton smiled. Then, something came to mind. "Did Julie tell you what happened last night"

"Getting caught in the shower with Dean?" Rebecca smiled. It had been an interesting story to tell the least. "Yeah, she told me"

Fulton laughed. Only Dean and Julie would be able to get themselves trapped in a bathroom together. "Dean told me he was shitting himself in fear trying to get out of there"

"Yeah, I don't think I would have been game enough to just walk out like that." Rebecca replied, referring to the fact that they had waited about a half an hour before just casually walking out of the room. "They waited till Matilda and Nicole were asleep, but still. Julie is a lot braver then I would ever be."

"Has Julie said anything to you about what they did to pass the time?" Fulton asked her. It was the gossiping side of him making an appearance again.

Rebecca shook her head. "Pass the time, no"

"Oh" Fulton replied and looked away. If she didn't already know, maybe it was not his position to tell her. Maybe Julie didn't want her to know?

"Don't just leave it like that. You have to tell me now!" Rebecca exclaimed, slapping Fulton lightly. Fulton continued to look away from her. He was going to ignore her pestering till she stopped, but suddenly, Rebecca leant against his side, rested her head on his shoulder, and pouted adorably at him. "Fulton, please tell me"

"What's in it for me?" Fulton asked, playfully.

Rebecca pulled away from him. "If you don't tell, I will almost-dump you and you will no longer be my almost-boyfriend" she threatened.

"That's mean" He sighed. "Come here" he pulled her closer to him and began whispering in her ear. He knew that he could openly say it, but this was so much better, in his opinion.

"You are kidding me" Rebecca exclaimed, pulling away from him. "That didn't happen, don't lie"

"I am not lying, why would I lie to you" Fulton replied honestly. That was another thing Beck realised, you could always tell when he was lying. Fulton was a terrible liar, and he was not lying this time.

"Julie never told me that she made out with him" Beck replied. "I am not happy with her now"

"Well, can you do me a favour and not tell her that I told you." Fulton said softly. Usually he had no problem with gossiping, but this was different. It was about Dean and Julie. "I don't think that she would appreciate the fact that Dean told me. Especially with the whole Matt situation"

"Matt situation?" Rebecca questioned.

"You know, she is still dating Matt, and she kissed Dean" Fulton shrugged.

"Julie isn't dating Matt"

Fulton's jaw dropped. This was news to him, and he would assume that it was news to Dean to, considering the conversation he had had with a very guilty sounding Dean the night before. "She isn't?"

"No, the other night, she told Matt that she wanted Dean" Beck replied.

"Dean doesn't know that" Fulton mused. His friend had spent quite a time the night before saying what a bad person he was for making moves on some one else's girlfriend.

"He doesn't?" Rebecca shrugged. This was a surprise to her. "I thought that she would have told him. Jules planned to tell him the other day"

"Well she didn't, and he is all panicking because he thinks that Julie cheated on her boyfriend with him" Fulton replied.

"I didn't think he would be the type to care about that sort of thing" Rebecca said softly.

"What's that meant to mean?" he asked her. He hated it when people did thing like this, passing judgement on him, and Dean, and other members of the Ducks without really knowing them. He may have been jumping to conclusions, but that seemed very much like she had implied that Portman was the type to take advantage of people like that. "Dean isn't like that at all"

"Sorry" Rebecca mumbled. After saying it, she realised that it did sound very insulting. Way to go Beck, insult his best friend, why don't you insult his mother while you are at it.

"It annoys me when people do that." Fulton sighed. "Don't judge a book by its cover. I mean, you know that I am nothing like what people think I am. So what makes you think that he is like that to"

"Fulton, I am sorry" Rebecca stated again, great, he was taking it personally. This wasn't going to end well.

"I am sorry to." Fulton whispered. "I am just so sick of people making stupid comments like that. Dean's mom raised him to be a perfect gentlemen, despite the way he acts. He would never mistreat a girl like that. Never"

Well, at least he wasn't extremely angry. This could all be fixed. Rebecca sighed and rested his hand on his knee under the table. "Fulton, I am sorry"

"Wow, your hand is…" He stuttered, blushing. Rebecca smiled as he said. "I have completely forgotten what I was angry about"

That had not been her intention, but since it worked out that way, she was rather proud. "Well, just know that I am sorry"

Fulton grinned at her. He had lied, he did remember what it was that he had been angry about, but he just didn't want to fight with her. "You have to come to afternoon practice today, Meredith wants to see you there"

"Ok." Rebecca smiled, standing as the bell rang. "Wanna walk me to the music room?"

"Sure"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dean sat at the back of the auditorium and watched as Julie and Connie ran through one of the scenes that they had together. His mind could not stop dwelling on the kisses that they had shared in the shower. It was amazing. Julie had made him feel alive on so many levels, and all he wanted to do was keep kissing her. But there was a problem.

The problem, her boyfriend, was in the audio-lighting booth, working out a lighting scheme for the play. Dean wondered if Julie had told him yet about what had happened. Did he know that they had kissed? Was Matt angry at him?

Just because he didn't like Matt didn't mean he didn't respect him. And above all, he respected Julie and her decision to date Matt instead of him. But he also knew that he had to get this off of his chest before it drove him mad. Maybe it would be ok. Maybe, just maybe, Julie had already told him. But either way, he wanted an opportunity to explain himself.

Dean stood outside the open door of the audio-lighting booth and watched as Matt used a computer programme to make decisions about the lighting. Now Dean understood why Meredith needed him. When she had said that Matt knew how to use the lights, she was not just talking about flipping a switch, she was talking about using the computer programmes to have it all happen automatically.

Dean took a breath, knocked on the door. "Hi Matt"

Matt looked over his shoulder, amazed. He was a little scared, last time he and Dean had had a conversation, he had been pushed into a locker. But Dean seemed different this time, so maybe it was safe. Matt sighed, maybe he had come to gloat. "Oh hi Dean"

"Man, Portman, please" Dean replied casually. "Only a handful of people can get away with calling me Dean, and they are all girls, so unless you want to be bunched into that category"

"Ok, Portman" Matt replied, pausing the software and turning his chair to face him. Dean was still standing in the doorway. "You are not going to like, bash me up or anything"

"Bash you?" Dean laughed. "No, I think that maybe you should hit me first"

"Me hit you" This time Matt laughed. "Are you insane?"

Dean ran a hand through his hair nervously. How were you suppose to tell a guy that you kissed his girlfriend? That you did more then just kiss his girlfriend. "Once you have heard what I have to say, maybe you will want to hit me"

"Um, ok, sure"

Dean took a deep breath. "Listen, this is about Julie, so…"

"Julie" Matt sighed. Great, he was here to gloat. Well, gloat away Mr. Portman, I will just sit here and plan ways to kill you for rubbing it in. "Oh yeah, the Julie situation"

"Listen, I want you to know that although I may not look it, I respect other people, and other peoples relationships, and I am really sorry about what happened between me and Jules the other night" Dean began quickly.

Now Matt was confused. "What happened between you and Jules?"

"Yeah" Dean confirmed. Matt looked as though he had no idea what he was talking about. "What, she didn't tell you?"

"No"

"We kissed" Dean admitted. Right, punch me if you want to.

"Oh" Was Matt's only reply. He turned beck to the computer, hit a button, and the software started up again. "Good for you man"

"Good for me?" Dean repeated. Why was Matt being so calm? Why was he not planning his assassination?

"Yeah, the best man won" Matt shrugged, typing commands into the computer.

"What?" Dean was confused.

"What?" He echoed, looking over his shoulder at him.

"Aren't you pissed off that I made out with your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Matt was surprised. Maybe they were both as confused as each other in this situation. "Julie isn't my girlfriend"

"She isn't?" Dean mumbled.

"No" Matt shrugged. "Didn't she tell you any of this?"

Dean rubbed his face with his hands. What on earth was going on? None of this was making any sense what so ever. Julie was not dating Matt? "Obviously not, or I wouldn't be this confused man"

"Oh" Matt shrugged and turned back to the computer system.

"That's it? Oh?"

"Well, I cant tell you, just because Jules told me doesn't mean that she necessarily wants you to know" Matt replied. Dean groaned inwardly. Damn him and his logic, why couldn't he be like others and tell him things that were important to him? And another thing, why hadn't Julie told him?

"To late, you have gotten this far into the conversation" Dean replied. Then, he moved onto a threat. "You can not leave it there, or I will bash you up"

"Man, I cant say" Matt replied calmly. He was feeling brave, because he had suddenly seen a different side to Dean Portman. He was not as intimidating as he first thought. "She will seriously kill me if I tell you, and she can get scary"

"I agree" Dean smiled. "Has she pinned you to a bed with her knee cap yet?"

"No" Matt replied, behind him, Dean lifted his shirt, showing Matt the purple bruise in the centre of his abs. "Ouch man, that sucks"

"It was kind of sexy though" Dean mumbled, mainly to himself, when he realised that he had said, he went on with what he had been saying before. "But that is a whole different story. What I need to know is what the hell is going on"

"Ok, but promise not to tell her that I told you?"

"Promise" Portman replied, saluting him with the scouts salute. Matt sure as hell did not believe that Dean Portman had ever been a scout, but he decided it was good enough.

"She chose you"

"She chose me?" he almost chocked on the words. Julie had chosen him, that meant… "As in, when faced with…"

"When faced with the options, the enforcer or the nerd, she chose you" Matt replied. "She wants to be with you"

"Oh wow" Dean mumbled. "That is…wow"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either" Matt joked lightly as he tapped another command into the computer. "I thought for sure I would win"

"This is, whoa, ok." Dean was out of words, he had no idea what to say about this. It was amazing. "She chose me?"

"Keep saying it, it will always be true." Matt told him, then turned to explain it correctly. "the other day, she came to my room, and I told her what I felt for her. She told me what she felt for you, and we parted as friends"

Dean said the first thing that came to his head. And like always, it was not necessarily the smartest thing. "So she is like, mine?"

"I wouldn't go that far" Matt chuckled. It was amazing that having this conversation with him was not as painful as Matt had first thought. "I doubt that she enjoys being labelled a possession. But yeah, unless she has another boy waiting in the wings, she wants you as her leading man."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Dean asked him. Matt shrugged.

"I don't know"

All Dean could think of now was when he could go to her. "Well, think I should…"

"No, give her time" Matt interrupted him. "She will tell you when she is ready for you, completely ready, don't push her, but…"

"Let her know I am still interested" Dean smiled. This could very easily be the best day of his life thus far.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shout outs

Linnie22 - Julie is an evil genius. Evil woman. Bet all the other Ducks would be scared of her now.

Kayla - Sweet merciful crap! That is a bloody long review. You await the conclusion of the bathroom dilemma with bated breath, well, I hope that this is ok. Are we going to see any more of the shy girl? I don't know, you will just have to keep reading to find out. (he he he, it is fun to be the one who knows things…well, at least I think I know what is going to happen next.) you were impressed with the dialogue, well, thank you, that is nice of you to say.

Bloody Raine - You are going on Vacation. I hope you have a great time. You will just have to review heaps when you get back, wont you.

Ashcake - Yeah, it was Nicole who made the flyers, and now she will have blonde hair and orange skin, thanks to Jules and Dean. Yeah, poor Luis. Yeah, and the Banksie shampoo. I loved that to.

Amy77 - Melted you inside? Oh, I think you better go to a doctor about that, it could be dangerous.

Pixie13 - Argh, another long review, this is very cool. I am glad that you like Joanna. So far everyone likes Joanna and no one really likes Matt. How old is she? 15. I did mention it, but that's ok (it was her main point of argument in the sex discussion with Dean. He was 16 and having sex yet she was 15 and he was acting like it was a big crime for her to be having sex… in Australia, it is actually a crime, but, you get that) Happy Friday the thirteenth, and sure, I am sure Ken will have a lot of fun at your school dance.

Melanie - I am proud of Julie. Really, messing with beauty products like that is something that only a girl would think of.

Snorts 90 - I am glad you like it.